Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Lasagna Garden

Three years ago Sean bought some railroad ties from Menards and put down these two raised beds on the sunny side of the house. We bought ALOT of dirt to fill them in and had a pretty descent garden. Last year, however was a different story. The ground was pretty well packed and weeds had found a home there. The peppers, cucumbers and squash were a wash.

Well, this year I'm determined to do better and with some encouragement from Alaina and her beautiful vegetable garden I decided to try something new. A Lasagna garden. No, this is not growing ingredients to make lasagna. It is a way to layer the garden in order to cut back on weeds and fortify the soil. There are tons of methods for lasagna gardening online. We just went the simple route. We could have done another layer, but this is what we accomplished for this year.

Before. It looks like a desert. How could anything grow here?

First we laid down cardboard (newspaper would work as well). This suffocates any weeds and decomposes quickly. I made the kids lay down on it because it was so windy. Do you like the shield cut out there in the middle?

Next, we watered the cardboard well.

A thick layer of Organic Peat came next.

Then some manure was put down. I probably should have had more than this.

Finally a nice layer of mulch to top it off.

I let this garden be for about two weeks before planting. No weeds as of yet. I was amazed at how soft and rich the soil had become in that short time! We've planted tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, beets and watermelon so far in this bed. The other one will have spaghetti squash, yellow squash, cucumber and zucchini. I read in several places that the plants in raised beds do better when they are placed closer together.

I just forwarded this to Rog. We grew tomatoes a few years ago, but this year, Izzi wanted to plant a garden, so we did, but I've had serious doubts all along that anything would grow. I've never heard of this before. I want to try it!

"...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complain- ing or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing...." Philippians 2:12b-16

I often want to be the one to do big things for God. This verse reminds me that it is in doing the small things well and without complaining that I can be most useful to Him. So when I'm taking care of the sick and sweeping up the floor again and just got sauce on my only white shirt and somehow managed to drop a box of crayons down the dryer vent and my friend is hurting and my child is frustrated with school and I really don't feel like I can answer one more question.... I remember that this is my time to SHINE AGAIN.